Mark Sage's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Utah State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test

The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

a) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?

Undecided

b) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?

Yes

c) Should a license be required for gun possession?

Yes

d) Do you support current levels of enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?

Undecided

e) Do you support current state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?

f) Other or expanded principles

The possession of semi-automatic/automatic weapons should be restricted. There is no need for every citizen to possess such weapons. Our law enforcement professionals need to be protected. Their jobs are becomming increasing difficult without having to battle semi-automatic/automatic weapons in the hads of criminal factions. Restricting possession of such weapons also protects the citizens of the United States from acts of violence like Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings.

f) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods?

No

g) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs?

Undecided

h) Should the state government consider race and gender in state government contracting and hiring decisions?

Undecided

i) Do you support affirmative action in public college admissions?

Undecided

j) Should Utah continue affirmative action programs?

Yes

k) Do you support state funding of stem cell research?

Yes

l) Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research?

No

m) Do you support allowing pharmacists who conscientiously object to emergency contraception to refuse to dispense it?

n) Other or expanded principles

Legislative Priorities

Please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.

The top issue is energy including utilities and gasoline prices. There is a growing need to reduce our dependents on fossil fuels. In Utah our oil costs less thatn $70.00 per barrel of oiol, yet we pay the same price at the gasoline pumps. The oil companies are making billions of dollars of profit. They should invest profits in refineries and reduce cost of oil production.

Education for K-12 is the second priority. Utah education is the lowest funded education system in the nation. Current funding priorities can be changed to fund the education system.